Chapter 144.5: Poetry Gathering, Double Fifth, Falling for a Trap
Even if this was already agreed upon prior to leaving, Luo Jing Bo was still very displeased, especially hearing the word ‘former’. This was hinting at Yi Jia’s current appearance? “Miss, you were rude.”
Li Chu Chu’s tears instantly fell. There was probably nothing more heartbreaking than this.
“You, do you not know how to talk?” The servant girl behind Lin Chu Chu seeing her wronged immediately blurted out in discontent.
Lin Chu Chu hurriedly stopped her, “Apologies Gentleman Luo, Chu Chu will takes one leave.” She rather distressfully turned around and left.
“Jing Bo really doesn’t know to cherish a fair maiden, even bearing to reject this kind of beauty.”
“That’s right, that’s right, even if you can’t take back, you can just look for a little residence outside to raise her in.” Someone else added on.
Raising an outside mistress, unless his brain broke, he definitely wouldn’t dare do this kind of thing. Aside from possibility causing a ruckus at home, causing his wife to be heartbroken, this even touched upon the problem of one’s moral conduct, and naturally will also concern his future career prospects. “For a woman from the pleasure boats, causing one’s pampered wife at home to be heartbroken, how is that the conduct of a man.”
Once this dropped, quite a few people suffered a calamity. The place instantly went silent.
Rui Qinw.a.n.g heartily laughed, “Jing Bo, should this prince say you’re infatuated, or should say you’re henpecked?”
“Because love thus fear.”
“Really can’t tell.” One after the other all teased Luo Jing Bo.
This matter also just turned over, no longer getting mentioned. However, those that originally planned on using women to rope in Luo Jing Bo really did give up on the thought. Since he had already gone this far, if one were to insist on sending, and if by chance he were to refuse, wouldn’t it be difficult for everyone to step down. However, Luo Jing Bo did get drowned in quite a bit of wine. Who let him ‘not conform with the group’.
The literature gathering itself was just a t.i.tle. It was still mainly to provide a platform to ‘make friends’. However, even so, quite a few good poetry verses still resulted from it.
When finally returning, Luo Jing Bo, in any case, had already collapsed.
……
The Dragon Boat Festival in two days, in Qi Yuan, was a very grand holiday, the Emperor setting out to enjoy the festivity with the people.
The most lively was probably still the dragon boat race.
In past years, it was the high-ranking officials’ families that prepared dragon boats, every year ten dragon boats, the families taking turns. This year, it was instead the princes that prepared the dragon boats, starting from the eldest Kang Qinw.a.n.g, counting downwards until all ten spots were filled. Because among the first ten princes, two had already pa.s.sed away, they thus just counted all the way down to the twelfth prince. The latter two still haven’t reached sixteen yet, and thus haven’t reached the age to be conferred as a w.a.n.g. That was really just making up on the shortage of people.
Because a certain few were already at war with one another, they naturally needed to compete in everything, and fight for everything. Thus, this year’s dragon boat race, there was entertainment to be seen.
On the riverbank of the city moat, after confirming the position of the imperial tent, with it as the center, on its two sides, in accordance to the families court rank, the other tents began lining up in succession. Because Luo Pei Shan was promoted to the position of Head Minister of Appointments, this year’s position naturally was closer to the imperial tent than last year’s. However, last year Jing Wan wasn’t in the capital, so for her, it naturally didn’t matter where they were.
The big and small masters of the Luo family all came out, even Luo Jing Ying was all the same. However, she appeared to be rather quiet.
Once the respective masters of each family all arrived, the canopy was already set, with the rug spread out, and the table and chairs arranged. In addition, there were various kinds of fruits and desserts laid out, and at noon, there will also be a banquet feast.
One has to know, each and every family for the most part all set out collectively, so just two lines——a lot of people and lively.
The small children all darted around everywhere, and behind each one all followed a slew of servants, just worrying their family’s little ancestor will accidentally get hurt.
Jing Wan sat in her own family’s tent, propping up her chin as she stared out into the expansive moat’s river surface. She estimated that it was at least over a hundred meters, much more wider than she’d imagined. Although called the city moat, it should be considered the inner city’s moat, because in the outer surroundings of the city moat, there was still a large residential district. Heard it was because Qi Yuan’s increase in population, especially in the capital, so there was no choice but to expand outward.
“Miss, the Grand Elder Princess let someone invite you over to her place.”
“It’s my fault, I should’ve gone to greet adoptive mother.” Jing Wan got up and tidied her sleeves.
Jing Wan brought along Gong mama and two servant girls, and headed to the Grand Elder Princess’s tent.
Along the way, she encountered quite a few other manor’s young miss. Regardless of what reason and purpose, at least on the surface, they amicably greeted her.
When Jing Wan reached the Grand Elder Princess’s tent, she just so happened to run into Ruan Fang Fei. Ruan Fang Fei was still that manner, smiling gently and elegantly, appearing incomparably beautiful. However, this kind of similar coincidence already wasn’t the first time. This made Jing Wan have a kind of ‘being haunted by a grieving ghost’ feeling. That feeling really wasn’t all that great.
The curtains were lifted. Ruan Fang Fei let Jing Wan go first, and Jing Wan didn’t refuse either. With the Grand Elder Princess, this layer of relation present, it wasn’t considered discourteous. Moreover, she had a feeling, if she were to modestly decline and whatnot, perhaps it will cause some other trouble.
“Wan Wan has come, quickly come over.” The Grand Elder Princess beamed with joy.
Jing Wan still curtsied, going forward after paying her respect, “Adoptive mother.”
“Sigh, good child.” The Grand Elder Princess pulled her to sit down next to her. On her other side was Yu Yao Wenzhu. Afterwards, the Grand Elder Princess finally saw Ruan Fang Fei behind her, “Ruan girl has also come, quickly sit.”
Ruan Fang Fei gracefully performed her etiquette, “……..Many thanks Grand Elder Princess.” Going forward, she sat down on the seat below the Grand Elder Princess.
The seat next to the Grand Elder Princess versus the seat below[1] her was just like the difference between main and secondary. Was this making clear the difference between their statuses? Ruan Fang Fei lowered her eyes, then in an instant smiled like blooming flowers again.
“You two are both good children, in the future, if you have the chance, nicely get along more.” The Grand Elder Princess looked to Jing Wan, and then looked to Ruan Fang Fei as she said this.
A girl to the side covered her mouth and laughed, “Indeed need to get along more, after all, in the future, will be all one family.”
The Grand Elder Princess slightly blanked. Afterwards, she put away her smile. She finally recalled just now, not only was her adopted daughter bestowed to Jin Qinw.a.n.g, this Ruan family girl was also bestowed to him as a side consort. Speaking of this, she was also helpless. It was all her imperial older brother’s good deed. But she was also at fault, temporarily forgetting about this matter previously. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the two called over at the same time. Thus, she faintly casted that girl that spoke a glance. Speaking of which, it was just a young miss from the Jiang family.
Because of a glance from the Grand Elder Princess, that girl couldn’t help going pale.
Jing Wan pretended to not hear and didn’t say anything, while Ruan Fang Fei further didn’t react, not even batting an eyelid.
Probably for the sake of breaking this awkward atmosphere, someone suggested playing madiao[2].
The Grand Elder Princess agreed. Jing Wan originally wanted to turn down, but the Grand Elder Princess let her sit down.
Thus, Jing Wan sat across from Ruan Fang Fei.
Towards this kind of playing card game, Jing Wan, just as she said to the Grand Elder Princess, only knew how to play a little. As a result, the game speed was relatively slow.
During the third match, when it was Jing Wan’s turn to play a card and Ruan Fang Fei’s turn to take a card, in that instant when they crossed over, for some unknown reason, the back of Jing Wan’s hand got scratched by Ruan Fang Fei’s nail, directly cutting the skin, drawing blood.
Ruan Fang Fei hurriedly apologized. Jing Wan felt there was something strange, but didn’t say anything either, just using a handkerchief to press on top her hand.
“Should say this skin of Luo third miss’s is a bit too tender.”
Even the Grand Elder Princess couldn’t help agreeing.
Speaking of skincare, Jing Wan just smiled, “I’d previously taken the recipe to the Rouge Pavilion to work in collaboration with them, and the finish product has already come out, just don’t know if they’ve started selling or not.”
This kind of thing, young ladies naturally all liked, and they began excitedly discussing in high spirits. No one noticed the sinister light flas.h.i.+ng across Ruan Fang Fei’s eyes.
[1] Although described as ‘below’, it’s more so to the right of the main seat, commonly known as the first guest seat. I don’t want to go into too much detail on the etiquette of seating arrangements, so I just drew a rough layout on seating arrangements below.
[2] Madiao – One of the ancient chinese gambling games. The name roughly translates to ‘hanging horse’, the name originates from the idea of the four legs on the horse, because you need four people to play, and the game can’t progress if one is missing. There’s a wikipedia page that explains this game in depth.